This invention relates to a collapsible box of the general type frequently used to transport items to, for example, assembly lines or to other particular commercial and industrial locations, where the box is emptied. The ability of the box to be collapsed permits a large number of empty boxes to be returned to a remote location for cleaning and/or refilling in a much smaller volume of space than if the boxes remained in the erect condition.
Many prior art collapsible boxes have two pairs of catches on each end of the box—one for each of a top sidewall panel and a bottom sidewall panel. For many applications this is a desirable design, since each wall panel has its own catch and is thus tied directly to the endwall panels.
In other applications, however, the two pairs of catches—one for each of the top and bottom sidewalls—is unsuitable because the bottom catch requires a clearance, for example, a cavity, in the bottom of the box to capture and retain the male catch member on the bottom sidewall. Other prior art designs have only a single latch to catch and retain the endwall. These prior art designs position the latch into the top sidewall panel, leaving the bottom hinged sidewall panels unconnected to the endwalls and susceptible to bowing under stacking pressure.
The present invention provides a collapsible box that requires only a single pair of catches on each end of the box, or a total of four for the entire box. This is accomplished by placing a single catch in line with the center hinge that joins the top and bottom sidewalls. The single catch imparts support to both the top and bottom sidewalls through the element of the box that is most susceptible to damage—an integrally-formed, multiple-component single axis hinge that extends the length of the sidewall. Thus, structural integrity and reliability are maintained with a single hinge and with no interference with the bottom of the box.